A Short Puzzle to Test Your Memory

Let's test an ancient technique called the memory palace. We'd like you to try and memorize a 10-item shopping list. (We've got an interactive version of this here, if you prefer it: http://nyti.ms/1ZwbGYJ)

•

Imagine waking up and getting ready for the day.

We’ll show you an item you need to buy, and we’ll pair it with a common location in a home.

•

Try to visualize your home and your apartment. And visualize these pairs.

That's part of how the "memory palace" method works.

•

As you reach to turn off your alarm, you find that it's a muffin.

•

You walk on the floor and find fries at your feet.

•

As you reach to turn on the light, you find rice underneath it.

•

You look out the window, and apples are stuck to the glass.

•

In the bathroom, you find lemons growing in the toilet.

•

While brushing your teeth, oranges fill up in the sink.

•

While grabbing pants, you find tomatoes sitting in your drawer.

•

You look up and see toothpaste stuck to the ceiling fan.

•

As you open the door to leave, a hot dog sits on the knob.

•

Leaving your home, you see ketchup dripping down a fence.

(Ew.)

•

Now, take a few moments to burn these images and locations in your mind.

Feel free to go back through the items. Adding motion, sounds, smells and tactile sense to your imagined scenes may help you remember them.

•

When you're ready, grab a pencil and a pad of paper.

•

Put your phone down and wait 10 seconds. Then, start to write down the 10 items on your shopping list.